Chosen
by Fly Away 2003
Summary: Paradise has sent a messenger to Kiba. Will he be ready for what she promises to bring. A little romance in there now so be prepared for sappy stuff. ON HOLD AGAIN! *sad face* WRITER'S BLOCK...
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE: THE COMING OF A STRANGER

Katana wasn't sure how many days it had been since she had left. She had still not found the one she had been sent to find in the first place. Katana had come from a wondrous place that the people of this world called Paradise. Ever since she was a pup she had been told by the elders of her pack that she was the chosen one. She was to venture into the real world and find the one that was known as the White One. She had been traveling across the country trying to find at least a small lead as to where he might be. She had come to a small city, but did not plan on staying there very long. She couldn't explain it, it just seemed to have a lonely smell and feel to it. Today was the day that she had planed to leave on. Something had made her put it off to the last minute though. She could not figure out why she wanted to stay longer. She just had a feeling that she needed to stay.

Right now, she was lying in secluded junk yard trying to sort out these strange feelings. Suddenly, she caught a small whiff on the little wind that came into the city. She recognized it immediately. It was the smell of a wolf. She got very tense until she saw what color the wolf that had wandered into the junkyard was. The male wolf was… Pure WHITE! The wolf that was walking by stopped dead in his tracks. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Then Katana realized that something was very familiar about this wolf. Then it hit her like a lightning bolt on a thunderous fall day. This was the wolf from the legends. "The White One!" she said in pure aw of who stood before her.

"What did you just say?" questioned the white wolf in surprise.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry. You just took me a little by surprise, that's all. I called you the White One… that's how I grew up learning your name." Katana answered very nervously.

"What do you mean that's how you learned my name? And also, who are you?" the other asked, a little confused that a complete and total stranger supposedly knew him.

"Please excuse me, my name is Katana, and I come from the place that those of your world call Paradise." The white wolf looked absolutely stunned. "I guess this must be pretty shocking. Please let me explain. When I was a newborn pup, the elders of my pack chose me to be the one to come here and find you. As you probably already know, you are the one that is supposed to be able to open the Gate to Paradise. I was to come here and help to guide you and your pack to the Gate. If you don't mind me asking, what is your real name?" As she had suspected, it took the White One a while before he was able to answer her. When he was finally able to answer her, he was still a little star struck.

"My name is Kiba. I'm not sure what to think of what you have just told me. I do know that I am supposed to be the one to open Paradise. As for my pack," suddenly Kiba grew very soft voiced, "they are all dead. They died the last time we tried to find Paradise."

"I'm so sorry. I mean to say that with as much feeling as I possibly can. I should know better than anyone what it's like to lose anyone who is close to you. But, my mother always told me that you should not dwell on the past; that you should look at the past as a way to help determine what not to do in the present. So tell me, what do want to do about all of this chosen stuff that we seem to have gotten ourselves tied into?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Questions, Answers, Fears, and Powers

Kiba watched the silent she-wolf sleeping a few feet away. He marveled at the colors she displayed on her coat. Where he was pure white all around, she was a mix of different colors. In horse terms, she would probably be considered a blue roan. She was a light blue in color with darker spots of brown and black peaking up now and again. This shading covered her entire body. All except for her face. Her face was a ghostly white that reminded him of the eerie full moon. She had a bushier tail than most other wolves that would remind many of the tail of a fox. Her eyes puzzled him the most. Instead of being the typical yellow wolf eyes, she had shy blue eyes. In the middle of those pools of shy were her pupils that seemed to gaze, not at you, but straight through you and into your very soul. Slowly, and without him noticing, he drifted off to sleep under the dull glow of a half moon.

The next day they were up with the sun and out of the city before any of the humans were able to wake. As they traveled at a slow pace, he was the first to even try to start a conversation. "You said that you were sent to guide my pack and me to Paradise. Well, I have two questions for you. One, won't you be expected to bring a pack and not just a lone wolf? And two, how will we even find the gate to Paradise anyway?"

"I won't be bringing a lone wolf." She replied calmly, eyes still focused on the horizon. "You see, when your friends died, their bodies died, but not their souls. Theirs and all wolf souls that die will be reborn. I have the ability to find souls that have been reborn. So, we will go and find your friends' souls. Their bodies won't look the same, but once they hear your howl they will regain their memories from their past life. As for your second question, because I am a wolf of Paradise, no matter where I am I will be able to smell the scent of Lunar Flowers that leaks through the gate. I will be able to lead you all to the gate once we are all together." Then she shifted her gaze, but not her head, to look at him. She was still in her wolf form. Since she was a wolf from Paradise Kiba wondered if she was even able to change to a human form. He had not changed to his since he had run into her in the junkyard. He didn't want to offend her by doing so. Instead, he asked, "So where is it that we're going?"

She gave him a small wolfish smile and said, "We will go west to the mountains. That is where we will find your friend Tsume's soul." Then, as Katana finished saying that a thought struck Kiba that he hadn't thought of before. "Hey, Katana? If the souls of my friends have been reborn, then won't that mean that they'll be younger than before? Won't they be just pups still?" Katana pondered the last statement still keeping those soul searching eyes on the western horizon that they were headed to. After a few minutes she finally answered her concerned companion. "Yes, they will be pups. Do you remember me saying that they would regain their memories when they heard you howl? That is also what will transform their bodies. They will not regain their original bodies. No, those bodies have been lost forever. However, the transformation will basically be a huge growth spurt for the bodies that they have now. They will grow to the sizes and ages that they were at when they died."

Kiba had been listening intently to her explanation. He turned his gaze from his traveling partner to the horizon in the far off distance. He knew now that he would have to be the one to transform his friends and regain their memory. One question hung on his mind though that he did not dare to ask. _What if they are happier where they are? Did he really have the authority to drag any of them on an adventure that could cost them their lives for a second time if they didn't want to go? _He tried to push the thought out of his mind as Katana began a steady lope. He adjusted his pace to match hers as they plowed on to the west. Neither one was sure exactly what they would find. Kiba wasn't even sure he would be ready to force his friends into enduring this rigorous trip. Not again. What he was most afraid of though, even if he didn't want to admit it, was that he would have to go through the pain of losing his friends again.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

CHAPTER 3: A SAD PAST AND A WORRY PUT TO REST

* * *

Katana was dead tired by the time she and Kiba stopped for the night. They had been running all day. They had already passed two cities and a small farm where she spotted some very interesting animals. Kiba had explained what they were, but she was still astounded at the strange animals that this world had. Back in Paradise there were no domestic animals such as chickens and horses. The closest things they had to those were deer and brush fowl such as quails. Now, they had found a nice little nook in the side of a hill. She immediately sank down onto the ground too tired to find anywhere else that might be more comfortable. She heard Kiba lie down a few feet to her right. She opened on of her eyes to look at him. When she did that, she saw that he was watching her out of the corner of his left eye. "What are you staring at?" she asked, still watching him with her one eye. 

"I'm just trying to figure something out about you. When we first met you said that you had lost someone close to you before. Who was it?" the white wolf asked casually. Katanacould tell by the way he stated the question that he really was curious about what had happened. The truth was that she really didn't like to remember that dreadful day. The only problem was that she could not think of a good enough excuse to not tell Kiba that would keep him satisfied for very long.

So…With a big sigh, "It happened a long time ago. I was still young, but I was old enough to remember it. I was out hunting with some of the pack when we heard a warning howl. We immediately turned back to the dens and were there in two minutes when it normally takes fifteen. When we got there… we saw the worst thing I have ever seen in my life… All of the dens had been raided and the bodies of the packs pups were scattered all over the den site. The pups' mothers were all either dead or fatally injured… My mother, and my older sister had just had new pups… when we finally found where their dens had been there was not very much that would have recognized them as wolf bodies. I was devastated because I had never seen something as brutal as that. A few days later we found the badger gang that had done that. The entire gang was killed, but with them fell half of the pack. Among those that were killed were three of my brothers." She concluded with a slight shake in her voice as she turned her head away from Kiba.

Kiba was silent as Katana finished her sad tale of loss. When he had lost his _true_ pack he had just been a very small pup. He had not known his mother or any other members of the pack very well at all. His family had been the tribe of wandering Indians that had taken him in once his family had been killed by a forest fire. Kiba wanted to try and comfort Katana but he didn't know really what to say that would help. "I know it may not seem like much coming from me," he said, "but I am really sorry that all of that happened to you. When I was just a pup my entire pack was killed in a forest fire. My mother, my siblings, and all of my friends couldn't get out of their escape routes because they had beenblocked out. I was the only one in the entire pack that survived."

It seemed that Kiba's willingness to share his personal troubles had taken its desired effect. Katana turned her head back to Kiba. When she did, Kiba saw a little more of a shine in her eyes. "Why don't we get some sleep, we'll be up early again tomorrow morning." With that she gave Kiba a small smile and closed her eyes. She drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

The next day, just as Katana had said, they were up with the sun yet again and off almost as soon as they were both awake. This time, they turned toward the North headed towards a forest that promised to have something that they could fill their stomachs with. It didn't take them long to track down a few rabbits, eat and then continue on their way to the West. The forest stretched west, so for the next three days they followed the forest west. At the end of those three days, Kiba was finally able to see the tips of the mountains that were their goal in the far distance. He turned to Katana to see if she had noticed too. She had indeed seen the tips as well. When she turned her gaze from the mountains back to him she gave him a sweet smile and said, "We're almost there. Are you ready for what you have to do?" She asked the question with real concern showing in her eyes. Kiba wondered if she had guessed what he had been worried about. Finally, he decided to put the worry out in the open.

"Katana, what if they don't want to come with us? What happens then?" Kiba had to admit that it felt good to get that question out in the open.

The answer that he got was a look of mild surprise and a calm, "Listen Kiba, if they don't want to come they don't have to. Even if I'm a wolf from Paradise, I'm not going to force them to do something they don't want to do. Is that what has been bothering you this whole time?"

"Yes, now that I think about it, it does seem a little silly to worry about it. Sorry." He remembered what she had said, _"Even if I'm a wolf from Paradise…" _He had been spending so much time with her that he completely forgot where she had originally come from.

"It's all right. I can understand you being a little worried about it. I'm not going to force them, or you, to do anything that you don't want to do." With that she gave him another smile and continued on to the West. He stayed back a minute before smiling to himself and catching up to her. Now that his worries had been put to rest he was actually anxious to see his friends again.

* * *

So what do ya think? LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK SO I KNOW WHETHER TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER OR NOT. 


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

CHAPTER 4: THE FIGHT AT THE DENS,THE RETRIEVED FRIEND, AND DEVELOPING FEELINGS

* * *

Katana was so glad that they had finally made it to the foot of the first mountains of the western lands. She and Kiba had followed the forest west for days now and they had begun to think that their eyes were playing tricks on them until they finally reached the mountains themselves. She moved her eyes from the mountain to look at Kiba. He turned his gaze to her when he saw her watching him from the corner of his eye. "So, are you ready to go and find your friend?" she asked with a slight smile showing on her face. 

"Yeah, I'm ready. So, which way do we go from here?" Kiba asked returning the smile. He had begun to grow quite fond of his new companion. He would have never guessed that he would find such a good friend in such an unexpected stranger. He thought that she was special. He had never told any of his other friends of his past before. He hadn't even told Cheza. She obviously felt comfortable with him since she openly told him of her tragic past without even hesitating. Yes, she was very different.

"Now, we have to go straight into the heart of the mountains. That is where we will find Tsume. If we keep up the pace that we've been holding we should be able to contact him by tomorrow night. Until then we should be able to find all the food we want on the way." Katana had turned her gaze back toward the mountains as she said this. _Wow, we got __here faster than I expected. Well, the faster we find Tsume the faster we can go and find the rest of Kiba's friends. _"Well, we'd better get going, don't you think?" With that she and Kiba set off for the center of the mountain range.

That night Kiba and Katana sat up in a cave that they found in the side of the mountain. "Hey Katana, when we find Tsume, won't he be with a wolf pack? And if so, what will we do about getting him out?" Kiba questioned while still laying awake next to Katana who was also awake but had laid her head on her paws. Katana opened her eyes as if contemplating the question before she answered it.

"He will be with a pack, but all we have to do is get somewhere where he will be able to hear you howl. Then, all we have to do is wait for him to come to us. Don't bother asking. He will be able to find us because he will have an instinct put into his head when he transforms. That instinct will tell him where he can find us." She explained everything that he had had a question about, so all that was left to do was get some sleep until tomorrow.

The very next day Kiba woke to Katana pacing around the cave. "What's wrong Katana?" Kiba asked a little concerned. Katana stopped dead in her tracks when he spoke. She had apparently not expected him to wake up, or talk. She gave him a look of surprise but soon, the look disappeared as she recovered from the sudden question.

"Oh, no, I'm fine. I'm just a little anxious to get going, that's all. You ready to get going. The sooner we find him the sooner we can head out and find the others." She answered the anxiety showing in her voice. Kiba could tell that she was a little shaken about something but he didn't say anything. He trusted her enough to where he would let her tell him something when she saw fit. So instead of questioning her he stood with a groan and nodded that he was ready to go.

They found the wolf pack fairly easily. Kiba could smell them almost as soon as they left the cave. Instead of running as they had the last few days, they walked slowly and cautiously. When they reached the edge of the ridge that over looked the pack they crouched in the bushes and waited. Within an hour most of the pack had gone out to hunt. Considering it was a small pack to begin with that meant that there were very few wolves left to guard the dens where Tsume was supposed to be. If one of the guards tried to stop Tsume from leaving they would be able to fight them off very easily. "So, if your ready, you can go ahead start whenever." Katana said silently trying not to alert any guards that might be nearby to their presence.

"Right… well lets do this." Kiba replied turning toward the dens. "Can you find the one that Tsume is in?"

Katana turned toward the dens and closed her eyes trying to concentrate on picking out the one smell of the one soul that she was looking for. Her eyes popped open and she whispered, "He's in that on close to the south border of the den area. They made this easy for us, there aren't any guards around that den!" she said in an excited whisper.

Kiba nodded and threw his head up to the sky and let out a loud howl that pierced the silent late morning. When he turned his head back to the dens he could see a small glow coming from the den that Katana had said that Tsume was in. He also saw that the guards were coming at them at full speed and force. He turned to Katana who was already turning to run away from the site. He followed close behind. The guards saw what they were doing and moved so that they could cut off their escape. Neither of them saw what the guards were doing though, so when they actually saw them it was too late.

When they got to each other Katana and Kiba had to fight through a squad of six guards. They escaped with one slash on Katana's left front leg and four slashed throats among the guards. The rest got away with severe injuries, but none of them was going to suffer too much… at least not until the rest of the pack got back and found out what had happened.

Katana led Kiba to a small round clearing about a mile away. Both were panting heavily. Kiba took a closer look at the slash on Katana's leg and said, "Are you going to be ok to keep going with that slash on your leg?" Katana noticed that Kiba had said that with real concern showing in his voice for his companion. In response to that show of concern, she gave him a surprised look but quickly wiped it away. She looked closely at the wound and cleaned it with her tongue.

"Yeah, it should be fine. Don't worry about it." She said. Kiba got the impression that she had said it more to comfort him and put his unease to rest more than anything. If he only knew how right he was. Before either of them could say another word to each other they were startled by a voice that sounded from the brush behind them.

"I thought that I was rid of you before Kiba. But apparently I was wrong. So, who is this weirdo she-wolf with you? Also, why are you here?" They both spun around to see that Tsume was the one who had spoken. "So, are you going to answer me or just stand there gawking?"

* * *

OK What did you think of this chapter. Between Kiba and Katana, it is either going to turn into love of just a really strong friendship. Let me know which one you like better in your review ok. Also, I will not be able to keep updating this quickly all the time. I'm human and I do get writer's block. So be prepared. 


	5. Chapter 5

Ok, this is a long chapter, so get ready. I took along time to write this so if you don't like it, so, if you don't like it I'll get my dog to come and bite you. :P

* * *

CHAPTER 5: RIVALRY, LOVE, AND THE JOURNEY SOUTH

* * *

_In Paradise: _Katana's brother Aroon could not believe how long it had been since his sister had left of her journey. He was standing on a small out crop from the forest that over looked the giant meadow that his pack used as a den site. He loved this place. Why shouldn't he? This was where he had been born and raised. This was also where he would raise his own pups. He and Katana had been litter mates, which basically just meant that they were brother and sister from the same litter of pups. He looked nothing like his sister though, even though he did act a lot like her. He was a tawny brown color that would have looked exactly like rust on a fence. On his belly and back, he had very light spots of white. You had to look extremely close in order to even come close to seeing them, but they _were_ there. He winced a little as he forgot not to put his weight on an injured leg. A few days earlier, he and his companions were hunting a caribou when the darn thing crashed him into a tree. It had hit his back left led just right. He could no longer put weight on it without going through quite a bit of pain. He knew it wasn't broken and that he hadn't pulled a muscle. He thought that he had maybe bruised the bone a little. He had meant to go to his uncle who was the pack's medicine wolf. Unfortunately for him, the females had begun to have their pups, so his uncle Sho's time was taken up with helping the females with their new litters. He gave a heavy sigh and looked toward the sky. _Maybe I'll be able to get to him today. I heard that there had been no new reports of a female going into labor, so maybe once he gets done with Neera, he'll have little time to check my leg out._ His leg was not the only thing he was thinking about. He was also wondering what his dear sister was up to right now. _If I know her, she's probably gotten into a fight by now is bleeding all over the place from some cut on her leg._

_The Human World:_ Oh, if only he knew how right he was. Katana was still bleeding rivers of blood from her leg wound that she had attained in the earlier fight. But, right now her's and Kiba's minds were on something besides a wound. Kiba could not stop staring at Tsume. Kiba had known before that Tsume would not look the same, yes. But, he had not expected Tsume to look this way. Instead of being gray, as he had been before, he was now a light, sandy brown with black markings on his feet and at the end of his tail. He looked so different that Kiba would not have recognized him if he had not gotten a whiff of his scent and heard his voice. Both were exactly the same as they had always been. The only thing that seemed to have changed was, of course, his appearance. "So Kiba, I see you still haven't given up on Paradise. And who is this freaky wolf with you anyway?" Tsume asked a little impatience rising in his voice. Kiba looked to Katana to see her reaction to Tsume's attitude toward her. As he expected, she gave him a death glare and walked a few feet away from both of them to try and stop the bleeding in her leg. He also thought that it was to give them a little more privacy to talk about what Tsume was going to do now.

"Yes, we're going to Paradise. The girl with me is named Katana, and she came from Paradise to find me and take all of us with her back to Paradise. You can come with us if you want, but whether you choose to come or not I expect we'll be leaving to find the others pretty soon." As he finished saying this he turned and looked over his shoulder at Katana who had gotten the bleeding to stop, at least for now, and had been listening to him speak. She understood his unasked question and nodded. This meant that she had indeed planned to leave soon. He turned back to Tsume to find he had watched as Katana had verified Kiba's claim. Kiba thought that he saw a little excitement in his eyes, but if he had, Tsume quickly hid it.

"I'll go with you, but only because I really don't know what else I'm supposed to do now that I'm like this. I couldn't exactly go back to that pack looking like this. What on Earth would I tell them?" Tsume said more to Kiba than Katana. Kiba could already tell that some serious arguments were going to occur now that Tsume had joined them. He could also tell that neither Katana nor Tsume seemed to care much for each other on first impression.

"Alright then," Katana said as she stood from her sitting position, "then, if you're ready to go, we need to start heading south as soon as possible. One; is because that other pack of wolves will probably be after us soon if we stay any longer. Two; is because the sooner we find the rest of your friends, the sooner we can get out of this crummy world of yours." Katana had said all of this just as the war howls were heard from off in the distance. The howls were coming from the direction of the dens that Tsume had come from, which meant that the pack would not take long now to mobilize. When the howls ended, Katana took off South through the brush at a steady lope. Kiba immediately bolted after her because he had already learned that it paid to keep up with her straight from the beginning if you didn't want to get completely left behind. It took Tsume a few moments before he also bolted after her, but they both managed to catch up without her having to slow down and wait for them.

They traveled the entire night until they reached the edge of the mountain range, and the end of the mountain pack's territory. Katana felt very sure that they would not dare journey this far out into open over a young pup and the lives of a few bad baby sitters. So, they found a small outcrop of rock that jutted from the mountain and covered a fair amount of ground. There was more than enough room for the three of them to sleep comfortably. Katana took a spot at the back of the cave like shelter and promptly lay down and cleaned her wound. It had started bleeding again earlier, but it had eventually stopped on its own. Kiba had questioned her about it, but she had simply claimed that it was nothing to worry about and that it would heal within a few days. Now, he went a lay down a few feet away from her as they had both become accustomed to being close together. Tsume gave him an odd look that Kiba caught, but noticed that Katana had not seen. She had now layed her head down on her paws facing Kiba and closed her eyes. It didn't take a genius to know that she was ready for sleep. Tsume gave Kiba one final look before settling down at the entrance to the "cave" with his back turned on the two. Kiba turned once more to find Katana watching him silently. He had gotten used to her just staring at him for no apparent reason. So, he simply lay his own head down and stared right back at her. A few minutes passed before she lifted her head up and looked over him. He guessed that she must be looking at Tsume to see if he was asleep or not. She was apparently satisfied because when she turned back to Kiba she spoke directly to him for the first time in hours. "I really don't how you put up with him." She said in a quiet voice that would have rivaled that of a mouse. Kiba, however could hear her quite clearly. She sometimes spoke to him in the dead of night, and when she did she often spoke this softly. He never knew why she would have to if they were alone, but he did know why she was trying to keep quiet now. She did not want to wake Tsume up by talking too loudly. He let out a small chuckle and gave her a grin that brought a rare smile to her face. He loved it when she smiled. The smiles that she gave him were always genuine and full of something that he could not quite point out. He had thought about it while they had been traveling and had thought it to be… maybe… tenderness? Did she really care about him enough to give him a tender smile?

As they lay in the silent night now smiling at each other, he thought about the smiles she had given him when he had first met her. They had been more humorous smiles, or smiles that said that she knew something he didn't and she was going to tease him about it. All of the teasing and humor that had once been there was gone. It had been replaced by something much nicer. This new replacement seemed much warmer than the previous. When he was granted one of her smiles, he felt his body just warm up inside like it never had before. He hadn't even felt this way when Cheza had given him a smile. Then, he decided to finally break the silence. He still talked in a hushed voice, so as not to awaken Tsume. "Is that all you wanted to say? Or, is there some other wise crack that you're dying to let out?" He said it in a playful tone which let his friend know that he hadn't meant to sound harsh or angry with her.

She replied with and even wider grin than before, and a soft chuckle of her own. She looked Kiba in the eyes with a slightly playful light in them. "As a matter of fact, I have quite a lot of wise cracks. Most of them I'm not dying to tell you though, so I think I'll keep them to myself." She said this in such a playful tone that Kiba felt his own grin widen at her antics. Her soulful eyes became those of a young pup that was ready to play with the first thing that came within reach that would not try to nip at its nose. He remembered the first time he had seen those eyes. They had reminded him of the sky, just as her white face reminded him of the moon. Now, they reminded him of the sky even more. The sky was vast and free; her eyes said the same thing about the spirit of the wolf that owned them. She had a raging spirit that seemed to never settle no matter what the time of day or night. At first, those eyes had frightened him a little. Now, though he had learned to love them. He especially loved it when they shone with the light that they now possessed. When he thought about it, he had come to love everything about this Paradise wolf. Everything from her odd, yet beautiful color, to the soulful, yet playful eyes, that he was looking into now.

When this realization hit him, he dropped his smile and retreated into his thoughts. _Does this mean that I… love her? Of Course it does. What else could it mean? I don't know __what else it really could be. I've never felt this way about **anybody** before._ When he resurfaced from his thoughts, he found Katana watching him with a worried look in those eyes that had been so happy just moments ago, and the smile gone from her face as well. "What's the matter? Are you all right?" she questioned a little too quickly. The speed at which she asked the questions was a dead give away that she was indeed worried at his sudden change in attitude.

Kiba was quick to renew the smile that had been on his face. This seemed to reassure her a little that he was alright, as she gave a small smile back. "Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about, really." He said. Once he had told her he was alright that seemed to satisfy her for she gave him a bit fuller smile than what she had put on. The small spark returned to her eyes as well. Kiba knew that he loved her now. He had the faint feeling that she loved him as well. He didn't dare ask for fear of making things awkward between them. He also didn't want to be disappointed if she did not feel the same way for him. What if she loved him, but in the way a sister might love a brother? No, for now, he would keep his feelings to himself. With a last smile and slight sigh, Katana closed her eyes to go to sleep for real this time. Kiba thought that the sigh sounded like a sigh of happiness, but he couldn't be sure. Instead of trying to think about it, he followed Katana's example and closed his eyes. Sleep came, and soon all three were wandering around in their own dreams.

The next morning, Katana and Kiba were up with the sun as usual. Tsume was not used to their schedule, so Kiba woke him up. He knew that Katana would not bother to, and probably leave without him. Soon after Tsume was up, the little band set off South. It was about midday when they decided to stop at a small stream in the middle of a grove of trees for a rest. They also went out into the grove in order to find some food. A few hours after they had split up, they were back at the stream with full stomachs. They set off again once they had all gotten a good drink of water. It didn't take them long before they were out of the small grove and into a strange meadow. In the middle was a small cottage that had apparently belonged to humans once before, but was now abandoned. Katana passed quickly through this meadow and into the woods beyond. "Geez, she acts like the cottage is just going to come alive and bite off her tail or something." Tsume said once they were out of the meadow. Kiba was glad that he had said this quietly. If Katana had heard him… he didn't even want to think about how much blood there would be once she had finished with Tsume. Instead, he simply gave Tsume an ugly look and quickened his pace to catch up to Katana. Tsume also quickened his pace so that he was right behind them as Kiba walked just to Katana's left flank. The wound on her left front leg had healed by now, and you had to look extremely hard to even notice where it had previously been. Tsume had also noticed that Kiba had been keeping very close to her. It didn't really bother him, he just wondered out of curiosity if anything was going on between them. He tried not to dwell on the subject too long, if at all.

Kiba had questions of his own. "So Katana, who are we going to find down in the south?" As a matter of fact, Tsume had also been wondering that same thing, but had not asked Katana plain because neither ever talked to each other anyway, so why bother to ask a question now?

The answer that he and Kiba got was a short one, but an answer none the less. "We are going to find Toboe now. He should be along the southern sea border." Tsume perked his ears up at the sound of the pup's name. He had always been fond of Toboe, and had secretly been yearning for the day that they would go to retrieve him. The thoughts that began to pour into his mind were interrupted as Katana continued. "It should take us at least five days to reach the sea. Once we're there, we can pinpoint where he will be. After all that is done, we will just have to see what happens." This time, Tsume was sure that she was done talking about the subject, so he allowed himself to dive back into his own thoughts.

He knew that the pup would want to come along with them on this new journey to Paradise. Toboe always had been a believer in it, and he had also been fond of Tsume and Kiba. Tsume thought that Toboe had kind of looked to him as a father, and to Kiba as a role model. It didn't really matter. As they continued on their way he let himself slip deeper into his own thoughts.

Kiba was also thinking about Toboe. Kiba had liked the pup. He thought that he seemed to cling to him and Tsume a bit, but he still liked him. He looked toward Katana who had kept quiet except to answer his question. She seemed to be getting more and more distant during the day with every passing night. Nighttime was the only time he could have the normal conversations that he used to have with her now. He understood, that a lot of the stuff they talked about, such as her past and Paradise, she did not want someone else to hear. Her past and personal stories were for his ears only. The same thing went for his. They had an unspoken agreement of silence. Neither revealed what the other had said to anyone. That meant anyone.

* * *

Ok, if you are still here, I LOVE U!! Sorry that the chapter was so long. Anyway, review it please so I know what people are saying about my stories. And a word to those who are following my story but don't ever review... IF YOU'RE GOING TO READ THE ENTIRE STORY, THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS REVIEW IT!!! Thanks to Shorty Bay-B though who has been reviewing all my chapters:P 


	6. Chapter 6

Ok guys anothr long chapter. Please don't hate me :P

* * *

CHAPTER 6:CONFESIONS AND A CORPSE

* * *

Katana was getting very tired of seeing trees every single day. They had been traveling in the same forest for days now. She could tell that Tsume was getting very annoyed with the whole thing. In truth, she was too. Kiba had already learned to deal with whatever came of their travels, so he didn't seem very troubled by any of it. 

Kiba, in fact, was getting a little anxious. They had been traveling for days now, but it seemed like the southern sea just wasn't going to get any closer. He wondered if they were even still going south, but mentally smacked himself for it because he knew that Katana could not get lost or turned around as long as she was going toward Toboe's reborn soul. He and Tsume were now just hanging back a little as Katana went a little ahead. Either she didn't notice it or she just plain didn't care, Kiba really wasn't sure. He was getting tired as the sun began to set. He could tell that Tsume was also tiring, but was doing a decent job of not showing it. He looked up ahead to find that Katana had stopped and was looking over her shoulder at the two of them. He didn't see any kind of anger or annoyance in her eyes, so he figured that it was safe to continue walking toward her. When they reached her she said the first thing that entire day. "We'll stop here tonight and continue in the morning. There's a small cave off in the woods a little that way." She said tilting her head in the direction of the supposed cave. She got no complaints from either of them, and she apparently wasn't expecting a response in the first place, for she immediately started to head off in the direction of the cave. Kiba was about to follow her when Tsume stopped him.

"How does she know there really is a cave back there? And, how does she know it isn't already occupied?" he asked, apprehension of going into an unknown cave was plain on his face. Kiba just shrugged and continued walking. He had now completely lost sight of Katana, but he could easily follow her scent to where the cave was. He was soon followed by Tsume who still seemed to doubt the cave they had not yet seen themselves.

"She just knows these kinds of things, I guess. I don't really know what you'd want me to say considering I only understand about half of it myself." Kiba said over his shoulder at Tsume. The sand colored wolf gave him a look that simply said he had not really helped in calming his fears. In truth, Kiba really didn't care. As long as Katana allowed them a rest, he didn't care where it was. There had been quite a few days when she had pushed them on through the night and the next day before giving them a break. On those occasions, even she had been worn out after going for so long.

Finally, he and Tsume reached the cave that their companion had spoken of. When they got there, they found that Katana had already gone to sleep. Kiba and Tsume found their own comfortable spots and also drifted off to sleep.

At about 12:00 a.m. Kiba was awakened by something scratching on the rocky floor. He lifted his head to find the source of the disturbance and found it to be Katana. "What are you doing up so late?" he asked still drowsy from being awakened so quickly. She turned around abruptly from her spot at the edge of the cave where she was looking at the now full moon. She had apparently not expected anyone to wake up. But, once she saw it was Kiba who had spoken, and not Tsume, she relaxed just a little. As soon as Kiba got the hint that he was not going to get much of an answer, got up and walked silently up to her and sat gently beside her. He was only about a foot away from her and it made his hair stick up a little. He quickly laid it flat again before she could notice.

She had been watching him patiently since he had risen to come and join her at the mouth of the cave. She now looked deep into his yellow eyes with her own blue ones. As Kiba looked at those eyes he saw many different things. One of the most profound though, was loneliness. Almost as soon as he noticed it, she turned her head away, her ears, ever so slightly, bent a little toward her head. Kiba noticed it whether she meant for him to or not. He knew that the gesture could be one of submissiveness, or a classic wolf sign of embarrassment. Right now though, he wasn't able to determine which one was occurring in her mind. He couldn't think of a reason on the face of the earth why she would try to be submissive to him. They had always treated each other as equals before; why change that now? Was she embarrassed that she had locked eyes with him or something? He watched her ears out of the corner of his eye. He saw them go straight again, but he still saw that loneliness in her eyes. "Are you ok Katana? You really don't seem to be acting right." There, he had said it. He truly was wondering if she was ok. She really hadn't been acting right around _him_ lately.

She gave him what seemed to be a nervous look, but turned her gaze away very quickly. Yes, something was indeed going on in that complex mind of hers. Finally he got a response out of her. "Nothings really bothering me, I was just thinking about some things." She spared a glance at him from the corner of her eye, and held her gaze on him. Kiba simply watched her as she sat there watching him. He didn't know the point of it, or why he did it, he just did. _What on Earth could she be thinking about out here in the middle of the night? And, why would it occupy her mind at all hours of the day and night anyway? _He thought to himself. He decided to try his luck in pushing the subject a little.

"What kind of things are there to think about that would make you act so weird at all hours of the day and night?" At this, she simply lowered her vision to the ground at her feet. She really was trying to avoid looking at him now. Kiba could tell that there was something she could say, but simply wouldn't. At least, she would not say it now. Instead of putting pressure on her to answer before she was ready, he turned his own gaze to the night sky above. What he was watching was the now full moon. _It still reminds me of her face._ He used all the self control he had to not try and turn to look at her face. He could tell that she had returned her own gaze back to normal level, instead of staring at the ground.

For the longest time they just sat there, not saying a word to each other. He had gotten so used to the quiet of the night, that Kiba nearly jumped when Katana finally spoke. "I really don't know how I should tell you about what has been on my mind. I'm just a little scared that it might come out wrong, and you'll get the wrong idea is all." Kiba turned to look at her, but her stare was still boring into the forest directly in front of her.

"What do you mean? What do you mean I'll get the wrong idea? The wrong idea about what?" All three questions were asked in such quick succession, that Katana had to think back a little to remember exactly what he had asked. Kiba waited patiently for her to formulate some kind of answer to his questions. Finally, after what seemed like ever to him, she spoke again.

"Well, like I said, I don't know exactly how to explain it." She seemed so shy and nervous right now. Kiba had always known her as a stubborn, tough, playful type. Now, she just seemed to be a whole different wolf. He also saw, that she was struggling with something inside her that she wasn't going to solve on her own. So, he decided to try and push the subject out of her.

"Are you scared of something?" All he got for his question was a simple shake of the head. So, he decided to try something else. "Is it something about Tsume?" Again, all he got was a shake. This one though seemed a little weaker than the first. _Which means I'm probably getting closer to the problem._ _If she got a little shaken when I asked if it was about Tsume, then what if I see if she is thinking something about me_. "Is it something about me?" This time, he got a very small nod. He had finally hit the main mark. Now all he had to do was work it down a little. "Are you nervous around me?" He got another nod. He had anticipated this nod, because she had indeed been acting nervous around him, especially right now. So, he decided to give her another chance to get the subject out on her own. "Why are you nervous around me?" This time, her ears went straight back. They didn't quite touch her head, but they came dangerously close. Kiba pricked his ears up at this display that Katana had clearly not meant to happen. What mattered now was that it had, indeed happened. "What, did I say something wrong?"

"No, no, it's nothing, really." Now Kiba knew that she was trying to avoid the subject of him, and apparently her. This realization brought him back to the uncomfortable distance that he was from her. It had been quite awhile since he had admitted to himself that he loved her. Now, his hair began to rise again, no matter how much he tried to flatten it again. Katana noticed it rising to his dismay, and gave him a quizzical look. "What's the matter Kiba?" Finally Kiba saw a way he could use her uncomfortable questions against her.

"I'll tell you what's wrong, but first you have to tell me what the matter with you is. Why do you keep trying to avoid the subject of you and me?" Katana looked absolutely furious that Kiba had tricked her into that situation. Now, if she wanted to know why he was acting strange, she would have to answer his question first. Kiba was relieved when she didn't get up and just walk away. He now knew two things. One was that she really did want to tell him what was bothering her. Two, was that she was concerned about him, and why he had been acting strange since he had sat down.

"Fine, if you tell me what the matter with you is _first_, I'll tell you why I've been acting so strange." She had said that with such determination in her eyes, that Kiba didn't dare argue about who was to go first. So, he simply heaved a huge sigh and prepared to let her hate him for the rest of the trip to Paradise.

"You want to know why I've been acting weird. Do you remember when we were in that small cave with Tsume that first night and you and I were up late talking to each other?" She nodded, her attention fully on Kiba now. "Well, it may sound like the stupidest thing in the world, but, I guess I just realized what you meant to me back there." He paused, letting what he had said melt in a little.

"What do you mean by that?" Katana questioned him. He could tell that she had gotten what he had been hinting at, but wanted to make sure she had not jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"What I mean, is that I love you. If you hate now I don't care. It's not going to change anything except for the way you act around me." He waited for awhile, not looking at her at all. He had half expected her to just get up and walk away. But no, she was still there. He could feel her fiery gaze boring into the side of his head, just begging him to turn. He kept his gaze straight in front of him. He really didn't want to look into those eyes that he knew would reflect hate for him by now.

Nothing came to him from his partner except for something he had not expected in his wildest dreams. It was not a smack or a nip that she had given him when they had played just a few times before. No, this was much softer and warmer. She licked him gently on the side of his jaw, which was the equivalent of a human giving someone a small peck on the cheek. When he turned to finally face her she had a warm glow in her eyes and a soft smile of her lips. He recognized that smile. It was the same one she had given him in the cave that one night. It was a tender smile that he knew was only meant for him and no one else.

Katana turned back to her spot on the cave floor and lay down facing Kiba. He gave her a smile of his own and went to lay a few feet in front of her. She apparently felt satisfied, because soon afterwards, Kiba could hear her steady breaths, which meant that she had fallen asleep. He smiled once more to himself before falling asleep as well.

The next morning, they, as usual, were up before Tsume. They didn't wake him right away though. First, they themselves had to get fully awake. Katana was the first to actually stand and stretch. Kiba followed soon after, and decided that now was probably a good time to wake up Tsume, who had still not gotten used to the waking hours of the two. Kiba nudged him just enough to wake him before he left to go out into the sun to try and wake up a little more. Tsume would be out soon enough. He too needed to wake up a little before he even tried to move. When Kiba left the cave, he followed his nose to a stream nearby where he found Katana drinking as much water as possible. They had not come across a stream in a while, and it would probably be a while before they came across another one as clear and safe as this one. So, Kiba followed Katana's example, and began to lap up as much water as he could bear. As he did so, he noticed, for the first time since meeting her, how oddly Katana drank. Instead of lapping up the water, she sucked it into her mouth like he had seen deer and horses do. He tried to imitate what she was doing, and found that he could get a lot more water at one time than when he had lapped it up. "How did you figure out how to drink like that?" She lifted her head at his question and smiled. Kiba couldn't help but smile back. She seemed to have some kind of power to make him smile.

"I learned it from watching the deer that live in Paradise. I saw how they drank, and that it was different from the way we drank. So, I asked them why they drank like that and they explained to me that if they sucked it up they got more water in one gulp than when they tried to lap it up. So, I just started copying them, and I did get more water at a time." It was the same thing Kiba had discovered when he had imitated her. He nodded to her to tell her that he understood, and dipped his head again to finish drinking. Tsume came through the bushes as he put his head down, and gave a small nod to Katana who watched him as he went to get his own drink. They still couldn't seem to stand each other. The most they ever did that seemed to pass for communication was the occasional nod to show acknowledgment. Kiba had already learned to ignore all of this and simply finished drinking. A few minutes after he finished, Tsume also finished and they moved out.

They had been on the trail all morning when Katana seemed to just stop dead in her tracks. In fact, she had stopped so abruptly that Kiba, who had been following close behind her, rammed into her, Tsume, in turn, rammed into Kiba. All of that pushing, moved Katana about a foot farther along the trail, but she still did not take her eyes off of the spot in the trail about two yards in front of her. When she didn't say why she had stopped, Kiba looked over her shoulder, and saw what she was staring at. Neither was sure what it was, so neither of them was willing to go any farther. When Tsume saw it, he pushed past the others and cautiously approached the lump in the road. When he got close to it, he realized that it was a wolf. The poor thing was long dead though. What troubled him though was that the wolf was not old. It was a fairly young one, probably only a yearling. He couldn't think why it would have died though; it had no marks on it at all. Not even scavengers had laid a claim on the carcass yet. Judging by the smell close up, Tsume could tell that the wolf had been dead for a few days now. Surely something would have found it by now. But no, not even the flies were around the carcass. In fact, there was nothing within twenty yards of the thing.

"Tsume, you need to stay away from that thing! It died from the disease that the humans call rabies! If you stand too close to that thing too long you'll end up with it too and die just like he did!" Tsume turned to see Katana calling back to him. She had already turned to go the other way and find a way around the contagious corpse. Tsume was back beside them within a few seconds, and they were all off and far away from the wretched thing within a few hours.

"If one animal in this forest has that stupid disease, then there are bound to be more." Katana said in a voice that shook Tsume to his bones. It was not just anger in her voice, but also fear. He didn't blame her one bit. He had heard of this disease. It made one go completely mad and foam at the mouth until they died a horrible death. Even death though, they could still spread the disease. For once, Tsume agreed with Katana. Where there was one of those foaming mouth corpses, there was no way that they were going to get out of this forest without running into one that was still alive.

* * *

Well, if you're reading this that must mean that you actually read the whole chapter, and you didn't die trying. YAY!! Anyway, it was kinda sappy, I know. Don't bite me please. I'll try to make the next one better. Anyway, REVIEW!!! PLEASE :( 


	7. Chapter 7

hey, i personally did not think i did very well on this chapter... i was tired and bored, so they kinda conbined to form a sucky chapter... sorry...

CHAPTER 7: THE PUP IS BACK

"Hey, are we getting any closer to the southern sea?" complained Tsume. This time, Kiba couldn't blame him for complaining. Katana had said that it would take them five days to reach the sea border where Toboe was supposed to be. That, of course, had been ten days ago now that he thought of it. He waited for Katana to answer, but she simply kept on walking as if she hadn't heard Tsume's question at all. He took this chance to get a look at her. Ever since they had run into the corpse of the rabies victim, her fur had been completely on end. She had not felt comfortable about stopping for the past two days, so they had simply kept going through the nights. Kiba could tell that this constant travel was wearing even her out. Her ears were slouched forward, her tail was simply hanging there like it had just died, and her pace was so slow that Tsume had made the comment that if she walked any slower, she'd be going backwards. Neither of them could really say anything either though. Both looked pretty pathetic themselves. Tsume seemed to have forgotten he even asked a question, because he nearly jumped right out of his fur when Katana actually spoke up.

"Just calm down. We're getting there, slowly but surely. We're taking a longer route so that we can sidestep that rabies infested part of the forest. If we keep going like this the rest of the day, we should hit the shore line by this evening. Then, we can rest for a day or two." Kiba had not heard her talk all day, so it was a relief to get good news out of her when she actually did talk. Now that she had mentioned it, when he really _smelled_ the air, he could pick out the bit of saltiness to it, which could only mean one thing; they really were getting closer to the sea. He took another look at Katana, only to notice that she was watching him out of the corner of her eye. Tsume couldn't see it, because he always hung back a few paces, and Kiba walked just to the left of Katana's flank. He locked eyes with her, and gave her a slight smile. He only gave her a small on so that Tsume would not be able to see it. Katana, who could not be seen by Tsume, realized why he had held back, and gave him one of those caring smiles that he rarely got to see anymore.

True to her word, Katana led them to the sea that evening. They had all eaten in the forest after they were completely sure that their potential meals hadn't been infected by the deadly rabies. Now, all they were concerned with was sleep. Tsume found a small cave by the shore line that would serve quite nicely. And, just as they had become accustomed to, Tsume lay down at the entrance, while Katana lay at the back. Kiba lay with Tsume for a while before the tan wolf fell asleep. Then, he crept over to Katana. Her eyes flickered open to see who had slid in front of her, but closed them as soon as she realized that it was only Kiba. The next morning, Kiba let Tsume sleep in while he and Katana went to get some water from a stream nearby. Katana waited patiently when she was done for Kiba to finish. While she waited, she began to think of her home in Paradise. She missed all of her pack, especially her brother Aroon. _I wonder how he's doing these days. I hope he hasn't gotten into any trouble._ A smile crept onto her face, and she giggled a bit at some memories of her and her brother when they were little, and they would always get in trouble together. "Katana?" She jumped a little as Kiba spoke up. She had been so deep in her memories, that she had forgotten that he was even there. Instead of answering him though, she simply smiled and walked back toward the beach. He followed close behind. Ever since they had finally figured out how the other felt, they had been spending as much time alone together as possible. Now, was the perfect time to talk, while Tsume was still asleep, and they had no where to go today. Katana finally found a spot of soft sand to lye down in, so she did. Kiba lay down beside her, and she could feel him watching her. She shifted her gaze over to look at him, and when she did, he simply smiled at her and lay his head down on his paws, as if to copy her. She smiled to herself, and closed her eyes. They often played a little game to see who could go the longest doing absolutely nothing, except for maybe staring at the other or just closing their eyes for no apparent reason. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours. Kiba was actually just about to doze off when Katana jerked her head up as if some one had just set fire to her tail. "What is it?" he asked frantically.

"It's the pack that Toboe is supposed to be with. They're coming this way, and they're coming fast. We need to get out of here and find some shelter!" Once she finished saying this, she ran off toward the cave, apparently to get Tsume. Kiba got up and followed. When he arrived, Tsume was up, and all three of them sped off east along the shore. They made sure to stay close to the trees because Katana had said that the pack that she had sensed was supposedly coming from the east, and they didn't want to risk being seen. Finally, Katana seemed to calm down. "They passed us by." She said casually. Then she turned back toward the east, and took on a far off gaze. "Well, if their here, that means that their dens can't be far off too. So, what do you guys think we go and get Toboe early and get the heck out of here?" She turned back to Kiba and Tsume to see what their reaction would be. They both nodded, and followed her as she headed off to the east.

By the time they found the dens, it seemed that it was about midnight. Katana led them both over to a set of bushes very close to the dens. There was only one guard, and he was and elder, who probably wouldn't be able to fight off a three week old pup. There was only one den, so it wasn't hard to find out where Toboe would be. Katana nodded to Kiba to tell him he could start whenever, and he did. When he was done, he looked back to the elder. The wolf was apparently hard of hearing, because he didn't even lift his head at the sound. In the pitch black of the night, they could see a small silhouette pop out of the den hole. It looked around a few times before it rested its gaze on the small group of bushes that the small pack was hiding in. Katana did not wait for it to approach. She slowly got up and walked off. Kiba and Tsume hesitated, but soon followed closely behind. When she finally stopped, they could all hear a small rustle in the plants just behind. They turned to see that the same silhouette from the den come crashing out of the woods. "Kiba!! Is that really you? I can't believe it's really you! And Tsume, you too! You look so different!" Kiba and Tsume would know that voice and enthusiasm anywhere. They finally had the pup of the pack back with them. Oh how interesting tings were going to get form now on.

* * *

told u it was bad... anyway, please review anyway... i may not write the next chapter for a while, because my friend's mom just had a baby, and things are going to get a little hecktik around here... just thought i'd let ya know... :P 


	8. Chapter 8

HEY! sorry i haven't updated in...thinks for a moment... 7 months...' anyway... i had a little problem with something in the story... but now it's worked out... please don't hate me for being so late in updating!

* * *

CHAPTER 8: REUNION WITH A PUP

* * *

"I look different? Look at you, ya little runt!" Tsume blurted out, completely forgetting his cold-heartedness at having the pup of the pack back with them. Kiba looked at Toboe for a few moments to really take in what the pup looked like now. Toboe, in turn, stood stock still so that they could get a good look at him. He had very fine light grey fur that almost looked blue in the moonlight. His ears and tail were all tipped a rusty red color. The same rusted color adorned his paws and the bottom of his muzzle.

Katana watched this happy reunion from the other side of the clearing. She herself was eager to be off again… she didn't like to admit, even though it really was only to herself, but she was actually very homesick. So naturally, she was eager to be off. The sooner they found the last of Kiba's pack, the sooner they could head to the gate.

When Toboe finally noticed Katana standing in the open watching him he stiffened and backed away. Katana ignored this and said to Kiba, "We should really get going now, don't ya think? That pack will be back soon, and I don't think they're gonna take kindly to having one of their pups taken away from them." Both Kiba and Tsume nodded, and bounded after her when she began to run at full throttle through the undergrowth. Toboe hung back for a moment, not quite sure what had just happened. When the reality that he had been left behind sunk in he bounded off after the three adults.

As dawn approached, the pack of four came upon a small mountain. When Katana reached the foot of the mountain, she seemed to just space out for a minute. All she did was stand and stare at the peak, as if she were waiting for it to jump up and do a little jig. It was only as Kiba and the other two stood and watched her, did they notice that it had gotten cold enough for them to see their breath.

As they panted from the long, hard night run, their breath came out is big puffs of steam, joining together to create a type of temporary cloud about them. Toboe, enjoying playing with his own breath in the cold air, laughed, and it was only then that Katana seemed to be broken from her staring contest with the mountain.

As Toboe continued to laugh at his own antics, Katana stared at him like he was something from another world entirely, and not a wolf like herself. Finally Toboe noticed the stare from those eyes that still reminded Kiba of icy water. He shrunk back a little as if he was about to roll over in submission to her. Before her gaze could compel him any further, Katana turned away from the frightened pup and began walking toward the mountain.

With one last look at Toboe, Kiba and Tsume both followed behind, with Toboe taking up the rear. Katana guided them through a jumble of boulders that must have come from a rock slide, into a small area, that was filled with hot springs. She ignored these and walked around them to where a series of caves led into long and twisting tunnels. She chose one that held tons of crystals in them. At the back of the cave there a small pool of what looked like fresh water. Underneath the surface there were untold amounts of strange, glowing crystals that gave the cave an eerie light.

Katana stalked up to the small pool in the back. There was something familiar about this stuff, but she couldn't quite pin down exactly what it was. The others stood near her looking into the liquid, but not venturing too close to it. Toboe crept up to where Katana stood and lay on his stomach close at her feet. He peered into the water and then looked up at Katana with an innocent look about him.

"What is this stuff?" he asked while again gazing into the feint glow of the pool. Katana studied him for a moment before returning her own gaze to the shimmering liquid. Kiba and Tsume also ventured a little closer to her, in order to hear the answer she would give to the pup's question.

Finally, after what seemed an hour of Katana just staring at the water like substance as if she were waiting for it to do something, she gave an answer to the question the others appeared to have forgotten.

"This is the Crystal Pond."

* * *

there we go! please review! i promise not to take 7 months to get chapter 9 up!!! i promise! 


	9. Chapter 9

HA! it didn't take me 7 months to update this time!!! i'm so proud of myself! aren't you guys(anyone who is still reading this story) proud of me? well, i'll be quiet now, so you can read the chapter...

* * *

CHAPTER 9: WOLVES OF THE CRYSTAL POND

"The Crystal Pond?" Tsume echoed. Katana only allowed him a small nod on her part. She was still staring at The Crystal Pond. Kiba too stared at the Pond, but could find nothing odd about it, except for the fact that it looked thicker than normal water and had crystals growing in it.

Kiba and the others waited for Katana to continue, but she offered up no explanation for the name of the odd little pond, or why she continued to stare at it. Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything on her own, Kiba decided to mover her along in the right direction. "So, why is it called the Crystal Pond? Is it just because it has crystals growing in it?" This time, Katana gave no answer at all. When Kiba looked back at her, her eyes seemed to dance with the strange light given off by the glowing crystals beneath the surface of the… whatever it was that made up this… Crystal Pond. She seemed so interested in the Pond. But why? Tsume and Toboe too had noticed how she simply stared at the Pond. As they watched her, staring unblinking at the shimmering light, uneasiness seemed to fall upon them.

The hair on the three males' backs rose more on instinct and impulse rather than knowledge that there was any real danger. Kiba noticed that even Katana stiffened. The fur of her neck and shoulders rose slightly, but not as much as his and the other two. Her tail also seemed to puff up a bit, if that was possible. Something odd he noticed, that made him worry more that the feeling that someone else dwelled in this cave with them, was that Katana's tail had slowly but surely crept down to where it hung limply by her legs. He had never seen her in a position such as this, to where she looked as if she were getting ready to submit to a higher ranking wolf. So he couldn't figure out why she was showing this behavior, when she had always acted higher ranked than he and Tsume from the beginning. Why would she act so strange now?

A quick yelp from Toboe, who was quickly silenced by Tsume's paw on top of his muzzle, alerted Kiba to something happening in the Crystal Pond. When he returned his attention to the Pond, a strange mist like substance had begun to drift up from the spot in the pond a few feet in front of where Katana stood. She watched its progress with calm eyes. She didn't seem at all worried about this phenomenon. Heck, even her fur had settled back down. Only… her tail still hung lifeless next to her legs.

Tsume and Toboe both took a few steps back from the Pond, and Kiba took one step back. However, Katana stood her ground. She watched calmly as the mist that had risen from the Pond took a sort of rough shape. Kiba recognized that shape. It was the silhouette of a wolf. The mist was taking the shape of a wolf… but why? And more importantly, why was Katana acting so calm? Well, Kiba knew the answer to that last question. Katana was acting so calm because she was Katana. It was as simple as that. With that thought out of his mind he tried to figure out why the mist was taking the form of a wolf, but his mind numbed when he saw what the mist did next.

Katana stood silently as the familiar mist condensed and became the physical form of a very black alpha female wolf. The black wolf had the normal yellow eyes of a wolf and one small spot of white on her chest, but other than that, she had almost a soft look about her, despite the sheer power she leaked. All the living creatures that were in that cave at the time, whether they could be seen or not, whether they were wolf or not, would sense the sheer power that only came from a very strong alpha wolf.

The alpha regarded Katana for a moment before turning her gaze upon Kiba, Tsume, and Toboe. After glancing at them all, she turned her eyes on Kiba once again. The she-wolf was not old. Probably only a little older that Katana. Yet she seemed to glow in knowledge and power. As she continued to scrutinize Kiba, three other mists began to rise from the Pond. Kiba didn't dare tear his gaze from the black wolf in front of him to look at the new arrivals however.

Finally, she tore her gaze from his and gazed on Katana. Katana however would not meet her gaze. She was scanning the faces of the new wolves that stood on the strange substance of the Crystal Pond, just as their alpha did. The wolf that stood close to the black one on her right side was clearly another alpha, the first ones mate. He was a very light beige color, and he too had a soft look to his cold yellow eyes. The older wolf on the alpha female's left side had grey hairs throughout his coat on account of old age rather than his natural coloring. The little of his natural color that had not faded with aging showed that he had originally been a very deep brown color. His yellow eyes met Katana's icy blue ones with what Kiba would have translated as bitterness.

Katana's gaze finally fell on another wolf on the left side, but standing a little behind the elder. He looked young, Katana's age if anyone had dared to take a guess. He even had the same icy blue eyes as her. Yet his coloring was a rusty tan color that was adorned with very, very light spots of white along his back and stomach.

When Katana had finished inspecting every last one of the new wolves, she turned back to the alpha female and actually smiled a smile that was almost teasing. "Hello Kalira. So nice of you and Hyrryl to look up on us."

* * *

hmmm... is anyone even reading this story anymore? yeah, i've kinda given up on reviews... i'm just happy if the stats show that people have looked at the new chapters...


	10. Author Notice

**Author Notice**

**I know all of you were hoping for a new chapter…well so was I. I wanted to write some more this summer…but I've been so freakin busy it aint funny. I promise that I haven't forgotten about this story. I do plan on finishing it. Plus if I didn't I'd get killed by someone who knows who she is…**

**I promise to try and write more as soon as I get the chance. Please don't give up on this story yet! It will have an ending sooner or later!**


End file.
